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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27664373">Spyvember 2020</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/embarrassingresultofmyfreetime/pseuds/embarrassingresultofmyfreetime'>embarrassingresultofmyfreetime</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and mild angst, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Other, Spydoc, Spyvember, Thoschei, inspired by Tumblr's Spyvember made by valc0 and ineternity I believe, mostly just hella fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:35:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27664373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/embarrassingresultofmyfreetime/pseuds/embarrassingresultofmyfreetime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The few fics I did inspired by Spyvember prompts (from Tumblr)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>The Doctor &amp; The Master (Doctor Who), The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor &amp; The Master (Dhawan), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I Thought I'd Lost You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Key to the Different Chapters (will edit as I go):</p><p>Ch 1 - I Thought I'd Lost You - Combination: Day 25 (I thought I'd lost you ) + Day 22 (Cuddles on a rainy day)<br/>Summary: The Master saves the Doctor's life but he doesn't know how to be the Doctor's friend after everything he's done so he continues to play the role of 'sweet human O'.<br/>Angst+Fluff+Plot+Happy Ending</p><p>Ch 2 - Renegade Runners - Day 24: Cops and Robbers<br/>Summary: Time Lords sense the universe in a deeply intricate and powerful way- which makes for a very fun and completely irresponsible twist to an old children's game.<br/>Fluff</p><p>Ch 3 - Partners - Day 26: Slow Dance<br/>Summary: The Doctor made a minor miscalculation and now her fam are in trouble.<br/>She needs a plan- but in the meantime, what's the harm in a slow dance with her best enemy? And why is he there anyway?<br/>very mild angst+fluff+plot</p><p>Ch 4 - Taller Than You - Day 27: Height Differences<br/>Summary: The Doctor and the Master are stuck in the rare situation where they have to work together. They aren't too good at that, but they are good at fighting- so they decide to bicker over the smallest things to pass the time instead.<br/>fluff+banter+gentle roughhousing</p><p>Ch 5 - This One's For You - Day 28: Piano<br/>Summary: There's a certain restaurant the Master likes to visit when he wants to work through his feeling about the Doctor without anyone finding out about him.<br/>After yet another failed confrontation with the Doctor, he returns to the restaurant once more and plays a song with her in mind.<br/>Angst+Fluff+Hugs</p><p>Ch 6 - Morning Kisses - Day 30: Morning Kisses<br/>Summary: The Master, still in his hut in the outback and still playing human for the time being, wakes up to find someone in his bed. It's the Doctor- of course- and after a particularly difficult adventure, all she wants is to hold him.<br/>Fluff+Light Kisses+Hugs+Nap</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I thought I'd lost you 25 + Cuddles on a rainy day 22</p><p> </p><p>"Doctor!"</p><p>The Doctor spun around at the shout of her name to see O abruptly burst from the dark forest at full speed.</p><p>Somehow, he looked identical to the way he looked before she knew he was actually the Master, all dressed up in that false-persona as O. He was all soft, wide brown eyes that looked too genuine to ever lie to her and he was draped in the same old purple t-shirt, not-buttoned button-down, and nonthreatening oversized vest combo the Doctor had grown used to seeing him in.</p><p>He looked the way he always had- not at all like the Master the last time the Doctor had seen him on Gallifrey.</p><p>It was enough to make the Doctor do a double take.</p><p>She had known O well, or... at least she had believed she did. O had been the Doctor's most trusted human- not that the Doctor would ever dare admit it- and after so many, many years, the sight of him, looking the same as ever, pulled at something in the Doctor's hearts.</p><p>For a brief moment, she wasn't certain if he was actually there or if this was some strange trick of her mind.</p><p>Her uncertainty was very quickly answered by the feeling of O's full body weight crashing into her and tackling her to the ground. The impact sent them both tumbling through the overgrown plants and down a previously-concealed hillside.</p><p>They hit the forest floor with a heavy thud and for a second or two, they both layed there completely stunned.</p><p>The Doctor's mind raced. This didn't make any sense. O should be here.</p><p>The Doctor was currently on a planet far from Earth, easing the tension between hostile military force and the native people. She had been on her way through the lush forest between the two, back to the nearest village to arrange a diplomatic meeting, when O crashed into her out of nowhere.</p><p>A scatter of gunfire could be heard in the not-so-far distance, shot just seconds after O had grabbed her. A full round of bullets buried themselves into the dirt where the Doctor's feet had been. It was only thanks to O that every one of them missed.</p><p>The Doctor quickly scrambled to her feet at the bottom of the drop and listened carefully for her pursuer. She only heard the crackle of plants being crushed as her assassin bolted off in the opposite direction. Clearly whoever was responsible wasn't interested in hanging around long enough to get caught.</p><p>O grumbled deeply in annoyance from where he had crashed to the ground next to her. He slowly forced himself to sit up and examined himself.</p><p>His rolled up sleeves had provided the perfect canvas for sharp rocks and plant matter to carve deep-red swipes into his skin. A growl caught in O's throat as he folded his legs under himself and pressed his hands to his knees, still struggling to catch his breath.</p><p>Once the Doctor was convinced her attempted-killer wasn't continuing their hunt, she turned her attention to O.</p><p>"What are you doing here?!" she asked quite loudly. By her expression, it was easy to see that she was clearly still upset about the stunt he had pulled the last time they'd met.</p><p>"What? Betraying me wasn't enough? Now you're stalking me? Are you really that dedicated to getting yourself killed because of me?"</p><p>O closed his eyes and hung his head so the Doctor couldn't see the way he was rolling his eyes.</p><p>The Doctor paced about the small clearing they had ended up in, already worked up at the sight of him, but O simply remained sitting on the mess of leaves and dirt.</p><p>He was finally beginning to catch his breath when he eventually answered,</p><p>"It really would kill you to say thank you, wouldn't it?" O scoffed with heavy hearts. His eyes stared off at something the Doctor couldn't see.</p><p>His tone originated from somewhere the Doctor had never been. His words weren't quite the soft, kind, sometimes socially awkward O she knew- but they also lacked the Master's sharp, furious, scathing bite.</p><p>These words fell somewhere in the middle. From the lips of someone more experienced than either version the Doctor knew. And, dare she say, from someone exhausted.</p><p>The Doctor scanned him over, with her bold stance ready to act at the drop of a hat while O simply remained where he was. He still had his legs folded under him and his arms keeping him from collapsing. He was hunched over, dirt messily painted onto his clothes and his hair more astrew than he would ever knowingly allow it to be.</p><p>O finally stood up only when he'd caught his breath. The Doctor could only assume that meant he had been running for quite some time before their collision. The more the Doctor watched him, the more worn out he appeared.</p><p>The Doctor tilted her head and scanned him over with a skeptical eye.</p><p>"When are you from?" the Doctor finally thought to ask.</p><p>O expelled whatever small breath of air he had managed to gather as a sigh.</p><p>Now on his feet, he did his best to collect himself. He brushed off some of the dirt from his clothes and tidied himself best he could given the state of him.</p><p>He then turned to the Doctor and the way he couldn't quite look directly at her worried the Doctor.</p><p>The look in his eyes was so distant, the Doctor could no longer pinpoint who it belonged to. It wasn't O's gentle nature, and it wasn't the Master's fury.</p><p>All the Doctor could see was that he looked... relieved.</p><p>He swallowed down something that sounded painfully like tears and took a small step closer.</p><p>One step... then another... and then one more. He moved slowly and carefully, testing the water a little at a time.</p><p>When he reached the Doctor, he paused. He looked a little lost for a moment and then... he reached for her.</p><p>O wrapped his arms around the Doctor cautiously, as if he was worried he might scare her if he moved too quickly. Or maybe he, himself, was scared of being this close to the Doctor.</p><p>One hand pressed to the Doctor's back and the other very gently settled on the back of her head.</p><p>The Doctor could easily reject him and break his hold, but she didn't. She allowed him close, the warmth of his body against her in the chilly forest, and she soon found herself hugging him in return.</p><p>Once it was clear that the Doctor wasn't going to shove him away, O tightened his arms around her. He pulled her in as if he was shielding her from something unknown and the Doctor was surprised to find that his hug was actually quite pleasant.</p><p>They stood like that for a moment.</p><p>Eventually, O began to explain.</p><p>"This... event," he began slowly once the Doctor's figure was comfortably nestled against him.</p><p>"It sets off a domino effect. You... get shot here. You live- but you're injured."</p><p>O shook his head slightly, clearly lost in thought. He spoke slowly, clearly, carefully. Each word clearly holding far more significance than he let on.</p><p>"The native people take it as an act of aggression on an unarmed diplomat. The invading forces refuse to track down who's responsible.</p><p>A bloodbath ensues."</p><p>O spoke as if he had already seen it all happen, the Doctor quickly realized. She tightened her grasp in return.</p><p>"Afterwards, few of your... <em>friends</em>, as you call them... they go home. They no longer want to travel with you because the death is too much for them.</p><p>One stays... and purely by accident you get them killed."</p><p>O's fingers tightened into the fabric of the Doctor's coat and her hair as he recounted the tale,</p><p>"You can't go back and face the others. You can't bring yourself to tell the family... so you leave."</p><p>O swallowed hard and the Doctor could feel his sharp breath as he choked down tears.</p><p>"You go out and act stupid. You get yourself deep into trouble. And even you," he hissed, his voice breaking down ever so slightly, "an immortal all high and mighty- you get killed anyways.</p><p>Permanently.</p><p>I-"</p><p>The Doctor remained silent, trying to take this all in. O's grasp around her became so tight his muscles began to shiver in protest. Still, the Doctor didn't fight him. She simply held him in return.</p><p>The Master held the Doctor even tighter, even though his body was barely listening to him. He was choking down his emotion, refusing to show it, but it was there and had clearly been pent up for some time before now.</p><p>The Doctor was so close she could hear the sharp gasps he was making as he tried to regulate his breathing and failed miserably.</p><p>"I thought I'd lost you, Doctor," he suddenly confessed.</p><p>His words were met with a still and comforting silence.</p><p>O was shaking, biting down his own emotion as his body fought to betray him. His words were genuine, so painfully so that the Doctor didn't know how to respond to them.</p><p>The Doctor didn't know what to do other than simply hold O tighter. As tight as she could until she had to stop because her strength was on the brink of hurting him.</p><p>O didn't seem to notice. His mind was too lost in the future he had come from where the Doctor was truely dead. He was still too busy holding the Doctor tight and doing his best to convince himself that <em>this</em> was reality now.</p><p>His mind was racing as he did his very best to convince himself that the Doctor was safe.</p><p>"How long?" the Doctor asked in little more than a whisper.</p><p>O wasn't sure if the Doctor meant 'How long has it been since I last saw you?' Or 'How long did you think I was dead?' - but either way, it didn't matter.</p><p>The answer was the same.</p><p>"I don't know," O said truthfully. A weak chuckle wracked his fragile state.</p><p>"It took a while to backtrack events to this exact point. You... were gone. So... first, I had to track down how someone actually succeeded in killing you. Then, I had to figure out how you had gotten there. Then, why you were even there at all- ... You get the idea."</p><p>He paused a moment to collect himself.</p><p>"I <em>hope</em>..."</p><p>O paused and closed his eyes for a brief second. He buried his face in her shoulder.</p><p>"I hope that if you don't get shot, then none of that will happen. It's the best gamble I could think to take. That, or stop you from ever coming here- but there were too many variables to account for with that course of action. Plus, you're so <em>terribly</em> stubborn I don't think you would have listened to my warnings anyways."</p><p>He'd meant that last bit as a compliment and a jest- the Doctor could tell- but he was still too mournful for his words to sound as lighthearted as he had meant for them to be.</p><p>Now that he had finally gotten out the truth, he began to settle a little.</p><p>O continued to hold her, but thankfully his racing hearts were slowing and he was progressively getting a better handle on his breathing.</p><p>He was exhausted, the Doctor could tell by the simple fact that she was holding him far more than he was holding her by now, but she didn't mind.</p><p>It had been a while now.</p><p>Probably the longest they'd ever been like this.</p><p>The tension had nearly faded, and yet something between them lingered because, at some point, the Doctor would have to leave him and carry on with this dangerous adventure of hers... and O absolutely didn't want her too.</p><p>He wanted to stand there, forever, until their legs gave out, because the longer they stood there, the easier it was to convince himself that the Doctor would be alright.</p><p>He really hadn't known what to do with himself when he had heard the Doctor was dead- and he never wanted to find out.</p><p>"Be careful," O eventually asked quietly.</p><p>The Doctor could hear him breathe, hear both of his hearts beat in perfect time, and feel the shakiness of his fingers slowly relax from their deathgrip on Doctor's coat.</p><p>The Doctor nodded, slowly, against his shoulder.</p><p>"I will. I promise. I'll solve this, get everyone home alive, and then I'll meet you somewhere and you can hold onto me as long as you'd like. How about it?" the Doctor reasoned with a reassuring chuckle.</p><p>O breathed out a weak laugh that the Doctor could feel in the soothing vibration of his throat.</p><p>"That sounds absolutely dreadful. Why would I possibly want to do that?" the Master replied sarcastically as he held the Doctor close for a minute more.</p><p>The Doctor laughed warmly.</p><p>"I'll meet you back at your hut. Text me the time and place. I assume you can make it back to Earth on your own?"</p><p>O nodded.</p><p>"Yes, of course, just... give me a moment," he requested.</p><p>The Doctor nodded and pressed her palms in soothing arcs across O's back.</p><p>Eventually, after a good several seconds more, O's grip loosened completely. He let the Doctor step away, although he already missed her touch, and gave her a firm nod as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.</p><p>He quickly pulled himself together.</p><p>"I had better see you later then, Doctor. I don't want you thinking you can do whatever you'd like just because I saved you. I'm not about to make it a habit," O warned halfheartedly.</p><p>He spared her a small smile and the Doctor reassuringly returned it.</p><p>"No promises," the Doctor jested playfully.</p><p>O shot her a grim, but amused, look of disapproval before he finally turned away and returned to his own Tardis.</p><p>The Doctor watched him leave for a moment, with a beaming smile on her face, and then went the opposite direction.</p><p>She had peace to restore before she could see him again.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>It was raining when the Doctor reached O's hut. It rarely rained in the Outback, but that evening it did. The large raindrops splattered to the dry Earth, bringing a pleasant smell to the air. The rain rustled the few trees scattered about the open landscape and soaked down the old ruins nearby.</p><p>The Doctor listened to the rain patter onto the roof of the Master's Tardis for a few seconds before welcoming herself through the unlocked door.</p><p>The craft was still shaped like a hut and decorated like one inside. The Doctor's eyes landed on the Master who was still playing as O's pleasant human-y self, reading a pleasant human-y book written by humans, for humans.</p><p>The Doctor knew who he was, but even knowing O was a facade didn't make him feel any less real. It was like watching a play, knowing it was a play, and still not being able to completely separate the characters from the actors.</p><p>This man had saved her life, as well as one of her companions' lives, and probably the chance for peace on the planet the Doctor had just returned from.</p><p>That certainly counted for something in her book.</p><p>The events of her latest adventure had played out fine enough. Tensions were eased and a compromise was made.</p><p>Everyone lived, and the Doctor had then dropped her humans at home for a break before their next adventure. Afterwards, the Doctor had set her course for here, in the steady rain, just the two of them.</p><p>"Your hair," O observed with a bright, warm smile. His mind was elsewhere as he spoke, as it often was in this latest version of himself, but none of that never bothered the Doctor.</p><p>"What about my hair?" the Doctor asked with a small smile on her lips as O's deep brown eyes flickered about her.</p><p>O quickly caught himself and averted his gaze.</p><p>"It curls when it's wet. I didn't know that about you," O ducked away bashfully, "I like it."</p><p>The Doctor followed him into his small kitchen where he'd already set up a few warm drinks on the chilly evening.</p><p>"You don't have to pretend anymore, you know," the Doctor subtly reminded him, "I know who you are, and you know who I am."</p><p>O didn't turn to look at her. He shook his head as a small, stubborn noise scraped from his throat. He finished preparing the drinks and pressed a warm mug into the Doctor's cold hands.</p><p>"This is easier," O explained, although it was clearly more of an excuse.</p><p>The Doctor watched O as he finished preparing his own drink. His eyes stared into his mug as he stirred it, but he forced a smile for the Doctor's sake. He didn't elaborate.</p><p>O then led the way to the couch and the Doctor followed. They took a seat.</p><p>"You know, I would still be here even if the Master had invited me instead of O," the Doctor promised.</p><p>O did his best not to visibly flinch at the sound of his own chosen name.</p><p>"No," O, the Master, whoever, said simply with a shake of his head.</p><p>"If we start mixing things then that makes you... you. An immortal: a... goddess from another reality.</p><p>And that makes me... me. A... failed science project from a sanctimonious civilization, founded on... <em>exploiting</em> you."</p><p>The Master shook his head sharply. He immediately regretted saying any of that. He was honest when the Master and O blended just right, too honest, and unfortunately the truth hurt him more than anything.</p><p>"So it's easier," he continued more firmly, a familiar bite to his words, "to be some soft-hearted human in the company of some mysterious alien and leave it at that."</p><p>The Doctor didn't know how to respond to that. She didn't know what to say to her oldest friend calling her a 'goddess' and himself a 'failed science project'. Nor what to say when asked by her oldest friend to be strangers so that he could have an excuse to guard his hearts.</p><p>She wanted to refute him- but that's exactly what the Master wanted to avoid. They never fought as the Doctor and O.</p><p>In a way, the Master was right. This <em>was</em> easier.</p><p>The Master looked troubled, so the Doctor eventually gave in and nodded.</p><p>"Okay," she decided.</p><p>The Master's- O's- eyes flickered to her with a shaky breath of relief.</p><p>"Just for today," the Doctor agreed.</p><p>O gave a nod.</p><p>The Doctor paused.</p><p>"But for the record, that's not what we are."</p><p>O looked up sharply at the sound of that.</p><p>"We were just... troubled kids trying to survive what was done to us in different ways. And now, we're just two people trying to be friends again. That's all I want to be," the Doctor promised.</p><p>O, the Master, whomever, smiled ever so slightly- but it didn't last for long.</p><p>"The things we've done... What I've done to you-" O said as his eyes darted about and his fingers dug into the edge if his sofa, "You should be furious-"</p><p>The Doctor set her tea next to O's on the small table in front of them. She slid closer and slowly, cautiously, pulled O tight into her arms. O sat there for a moment, like a child too stubborn to cry.</p><p>Eventually he settled down and returned the affection. His arms slid carefully around the Doctor and he rested his head to her shoulder.</p><p>"I'm sorry. Nevermind that. You're right, O," the Doctor agreed, "And... thanks for saving me."</p><p>O nodded and pressed closer, with his face to the surprisingly soft fabric that made up the front of the Doctor's coat. It was slightly damp around the shoulders from her walk to his door, but he didn't mind in the slightest. He locked his fingers tight into the same fabric that made up the back of her coat. He buried himself in her arms, as if he couldn't possibly hide himself close enough.</p><p>The Doctor calmed him down from his recent scare as the rain pattered against the roof. The Doctor ran her fingers through O's hair and pressed light kisses to his crown. She pressed her fingers to the back of O's neck until he shuttered softly and then ran her hands firmly over his back. She pressed gentle circles into his tense shoulders and for a while more, she simply held him and promised that she wasn't going anywhere.</p><p>The distraction worked easily and O's body quickly fell lax into her arms. He melted against her completely and the Doctor smiled as O's breathing fell into a soft pattern to match the steady beating of his hearts.</p><p>"So whose idea was it to save me?" the Doctor eventually asked when O was comfortable and content in her arms.</p><p>O, or the Master, or perhaps a mix of both- snickered something under his breath that the Doctor didn't catch.</p><p>The Doctor smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her friend's hair.</p><p>"Well O," she hummed quietly through the still air, "if you see him, please give him my thanks as well."</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Renegade Runners</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time Lords sense the universe in a deeply intricate and powerful way- which makes for a very fun and completely irresponsible twist to an old children's game.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Inspired by Spyvember- Day 24: Cops and Robbers</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It's a game. A stupid game. But one of their favorites nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor only realizes how much she's missed the thrill of it as she found herself barreling down an incredibly busy street in the 19th century with a pocket full of stolen items.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Let's start from the beginning:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time Lords feel time. Simple as that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time is a part of them. It's inseparable from them. They're defined by it. Time connects them to the world around them, and to each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time Lords are known for their perfect sense of time. As anyone can tell you, there are no clocks on Gallifrey- none that tell time anyway. Instead, Time Lords learn how to calculate- as naturally as they learn to walk from the instant they are created- the day and time by the position of the planet beneath their feet. Time Lords are naturally inclined to function as part of a whole, as one with the pull of the binary stars overhead, and the ground spinning and racing through open space beneath their feet. They learn very quickly how to correspond time with what they feel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Children learn, by this instinct, when to wake up, when to go to class, when to eat, and when to sleep. Time is simply a part of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they grow older, they feel time pass like the pull of gravity. They understand its inner workings and what makes it happen. They know the way the timelines weave and shift like the air around them. They know the progression of events: what can and cannot happen, what can be altered and what is inevitable, they learn how to see everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time Lords learn this as if it's nothing, but it makes them see the whole of reality differently from any other living creature.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the Doctor stands on Earth, she can feel the spin, see the angle of the nearest star and the path of this chunk of dirt around it. She can see time in every breath of every soul around her and the threads connecting everyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Humans often assume that the Doctor isn't paying attention, but the truth is that the Doctor is simply trying to sort through an overwhelming amount of information from one second to the next. When given the spin of Earth and the way it's racing through space, the way the very air around her is flooded with the timelines of countless humans, the way the possibilities of what can and can not be done pour over her- all of that can make it a little difficult to separate what's important at that single moment from what is not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When you can feel time pouring through your hands like sand, when you see every option as it is made and the way the timelines converge around it, when you feel your own body bombarded with stimuli like you're always at the center of a concert, it does get to be a bit much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that's why, sometimes, the Doctor and the Master play a game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's a game. A stupid game. But one of their favorites nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The game is an exercise, a practice, a dance. It's something that they can't fully explain to anyone who can't see the world through their eyes. Or, in short, to anyone who is not a Time Lord.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But basically: it's a bit like cops and robbers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They call it Renegade Runner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The idea is for one Time Lord to run- like a stone skipping through time, making splashes that ripple back to where the other can follow- and it's the other's job to catch them by following their footprints.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The complicated part is that there's no easy way for the searcher to find the runner. They have to rely on their old senses to feel exactly where and when the timelines converge, and bend, and new possibilities open up for the runner while the chaser hurries after them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's as delicate as an insect over a spider's web, trying to make vibrations big enough for their pursuer to follow but not big enough to get caught.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They play it using soft zones on Earth, spots where time is in a more impressionable flux and the strands of time are less likely to twist together, where they won't solidify.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And all the while, the runner had to swipe things or do <em>something</em> to tug at the strings of time and make a significant print in time for the other to find. It's a delicate balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them spend the duration of the game chasing each other, back and forth, across the soft spots in time like leaping across quicksand, hoping they don't get pulled in, and test their old abilities like school children running about in the grass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They hadn't played it in ages, but things had grown a bit dull for the time being, and the Master was never one to say no to a game with the Doctor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor was running this time, through the 19th century to be precise, and attempting to get away with the small change she had made by swiping a certain comb that would belong to a famous poet: whose wording was about to be changed as a repercussion of the Doctor's simple act.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few words would change in a poem, and then the ideas of its readers would change, and then every professor and english student who ever wrote a paper on it would be forced to change their wording, however slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And when those papers were lost and found years and years later, the ideas of those readers would change too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a tiny action that would change reality in a million tiny ways, creating ripples in the pond of time, and be just enough for the Master to follow back to their source.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was the game. To change things bolder and bolder until you were caught- and the Doctor always was excellent at running around, changing Earth's timelines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would return the comb once the game was over, effectively nullifying the ripples she had made, but right now wasn't the time to worry about all that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now was the time to <em>run</em>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she could get back to her Tardis, she could make the next jump and lose the Master as he gained on her. It made the Doctor grin a mischievous, deep smile to run full speed from her enemy on her tail to her Tardis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She loved the thrill, the rush, the-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor was suddenly tackled off course as a stranger crashed into her from a perpendicular alleyway. There was no way she could have seen him racing at top speed until it was too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Air was knocked out of the Doctor as she fell, and unconventionally- her attacker caught her. She immediately knew the Master's by his presence. She would have noticed it far sooner if not for the busy street around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master fell into her, but his grasp was gentler than it was when they were properly opposed on a topic. Instead of shoving her, he caught onto her as they both fell over each other. The Master reached for the back of the Doctor's head so that as her body hit the ground, her head fell harmlessly into his open palm rather than into the hard stone beneath her. The Master fell over top of her, barely catching himself with his free arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was panting heavily, eyes thrilled and prideful, and a bright grin on his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I got you!" the Master announced childishly and cheerfully. There was no threat to his voice as he grinned happily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor chuckled as she heaved and began to catch her breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright. Yes, you did," she caved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master quickly climbed off of her and reached out a hand to pull her up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My turn!" he called out, completely wrapped up in the thrill of the game and the adrenalyn high that accompanied it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor grinned at him in return. Their heavy breathing began to subside once they were back on their feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor laughed and reached her hands to the Master's face to affectionately rough up his hair as if they were young boys all over again. The Master beamed and pressed his eyes shut as the Doctor freed his long curls from their perfectly brushed hold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. Your turn. I took 3 significant objects, so I have to return them- but even with the head start, you're not going to beat my record before I catch you!" the Doctor jested warmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We'll see about that, Doctor!" the Master countered lightheartedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master opened his eyes once the Doctor had thoroughly messed up his hair. He had a ridiculous off-center smile and a childish laugh the Doctor didn't know he was still capable of until now. Even past the lines pressed to the edges of his eyes above his smile, showing the effects of decades upon decades and sleepless nights, his dark eyes still looked happier than the Doctor had ever known them to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor pulled his face to her own so her forehead could press against his. The Doctor ran her thumbs over the little lines at the outer edges of his left eyes as if she could somehow sooth the tole time had taken on him with a touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master's face scrunched up as he laughed something deep and full from his chest. The Doctor pressed her forehead to his in a way that sent a flood of cheerfulness and comfort through her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could feel the Master's own elated nature melt with her own in response. It felt incredible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's all this?" the Master smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your prize for winning," the Doctor chuckled through the flimsy excuse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master smiled even wider as he hummed warmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few, all-too-brief seconds, they broke apart again with a flood of racing hearts and grinning lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Catch me if you can, Doctor!" the Master laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He then gave a small wave and raced away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor stood there a moment, blissfully content.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A nearby vender, who had caught most of the exchange, smiled politely as she caught the Doctor's eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That one yours?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor chuckled sheepishly, "Yeah. I suppose he is."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The vendor offered her an apple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"An absolute wild one," the lady chuckled. "You'd better hold onto a lad like that. I've never seen one with such appreciation for a woman before."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor gave her a polite smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's a mad one alright, but that makes two of us," the Doctor agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded her thanks for the snack and then hurried on her way. She had to return the items she had swiped to their proper places and times, and then she had to get back to tracking down the Master.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once she found him again, there was no doubt in her mind that she would tackle him in return just to bring another stupid grin to his face. She was sure it would make him laugh, and for some reason, his cheerfulness brought a warm feeling to the Doctor's own hearts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She raced through the street. The sooner she found him, the sooner she could feel that wonderful thrill again.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>(This isn't as heavily edited as some of my other work bc I wanted to post this in time so sorry for any minor errors!)<br/>I hope you enjoyed! I'm a sucker for dorky idiots in love lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Partners</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Day 26: Slow Dance</p>
<p>The Doctor made a minor miscalculation and now her fam are in trouble.<br/>She needs a plan- but in the meantime, what's the harm in a slow dance with her best enemy? And why is he there anyway?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What? No! No, this isn't late?? It's... uh... timezones! Yeah! Timezone differences. Mmhm. Yeah. Look it up.<br/>This isn't late at all. Idk who told you that. (/joke)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Doctor was having quite the day. She had promised her fam a fun, extravagant party in a futuristic location. She had no idea that they would end up one the wrong side of a civil war over android rights.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor had brought the fam to the enormous mansion, hyping them up to be prepared to meet the great minds of the future, only to end up at a fundraiser for an anti-equality campaign filled with rich snobs who believed freedom was only for completely organic individuals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor didn't even realize it either until things took a sharp turn for the worse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was all a misunderstanding. The Doctor hadn't <em>meant</em> to imply that she was pro-android rights in the middle of a hostile, high class ballroom- but she wasn't about to go back on her beliefs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If a machine was self-aware and their inner workings were indistinguishable from a biological brain, then yes of course they were alive and deserved to be free. Was it really any question?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But apparently it was. Because now the Doctor's fam was tied up in- what were actually quite comfortable all things considered- dinner chairs that had been dragged to the edge of the ballroom. They had been picked off one by one by the security and settled there for the time being while the music continued. Smug faces raised their glasses to celebrate the capture of her friends' supposed 'radical' minds, which the attendees saw as a threat to their 'traditional' way of life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor was doing her best to talk herself out of this one, but she wouldn't walk free for much longer. People were starting to notice her as well and she could do little more than stare off at Graham, Yaz, and Ryan apologetically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor was about to join them- a guard had nearly reached her through the crowd- when all of a sudden the mass of pretentious, elegantly-dressed guests began to part. It must be the host of the ball, the Doctor could only presume, for who else could carry such a strong influence on their audience?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor expected a vengeful widow with nothing else to do but spread hatred, or perhaps an overweight, self-entitled man to appear through the parting sea of overpriced attire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The <em>last</em> thing she expected was the face that approached her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Goodness me! I've never been one to put a damper on a good time, but you've all mistaken this wonderful lady for rebellious scum!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why, this is my dear wife! Always playing the devil's advocate, to provoke the brightest minds of our time in a thought exercise!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the Master, laughing so warmly he could convince the crowd of anything. His silver tongue worked its magic as he approached the Doctor's side, his figure dressed up in a gorgeous 3-piece purple suit and a matching top hat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"My dearest does love to play games, to test the alliances of all you lovely folk who attend my functions, and by the stars, it seems you've proven your loyalties! You lot really are the <em>finest</em> minds around!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master's spin on events drew a cheerful laughter from the crowd that instantly defused the moment. Posh heads were tossed back in a sea of socially-acceptable laughter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were clearly buying into the Master's excuse with ease: that the Doctor's opposing ideas were nothing more than a test that her husband's guests had easily passed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few nearby gentlemen tipped their hats to the Doctor and a few ladies gave a bow. They all gave her the deepest apologies to ensure they wouldn't offend their host.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"My apologies, your ladyship!" they said in varying degrees,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You truly have tested our loyalty to your dear husband." "You must love him so very much to vet us so thoroughly!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few sentences from the Master, and soon everyone in the room was showering the Doctor in compliments for her crafty intellect. Their kindness was clearly derived from false niceties and social peer pressure. Their faux smiles made the Doctor feel sick.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's quite alright, you <em>lovely people</em>," the Master charmed the masses.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"She worries for my safety, bless her soul. But please resume the festivities on this beautiful evening! It's a cause for <em>celebration</em>, after all!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A cheer rose up and then the crowd dispersed. Couples moved to the dancefloor and others went off to snack by the horderves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master grinned brightly to the Doctor once they were left to their own devices by the other guests. He looked- quite literally- perfect: from his shining black dress-shoes to his perfectly tailored suit to his perfectly groomed beard and hair. Every detail of him was presented in a way that nearly looked unreal and his performance of lies was undoubtedly a success. He was a master at social games, and he wasn't afraid to show it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master bowed to her, gracefully, as a knight might bow to a queen, and offered her his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What's your angle?" the Doctor questioned once no one was paying them any mind, "What even <em>is</em> all of this? Actually, nevermind that, I don't care. More importantly: let my friends go or-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master cut her off with a gently amused smile before she could get herself too worked up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"May I have this dance?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor rolled her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Are you kidding me?! You have my friends tied up! Why would I ever agree to that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master's lips twisted into a heavily amused grin. Then they fell away and he was left with a cold, apathetic expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Because if you want your silly pets to walk out of here with all their bones <em>intact</em>- you'll want to get on my good side."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A heavily annoyed breath fell from the Doctor's lips. Her frustration bordered on disbelief, but then again, this was exactly like him. To turn a dangerous situation into a time for games.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're not giving me much of a choice, are you?" she hissed sharply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master offered his hand once more, and this time the Doctor accepted it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master led her to the dance floor. The moment her feet hit the classy, polished wooden border, the band changed their tune. The music fell into a slower, gentler rhythm. The Doctor glanced around to see the way the other dancers shifted their hold on their partner to match the soft, slow dance drifting through the evening air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor gave a scowl and rolled her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gave in reluctantly and only because she knew it was currently her best option to get her friends out of here alive. She assumed the position that a male dancer would traditionally take. It was the role she was used to after all, and just because the Master was forcing her to dance didn't mean she would play along any differently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor could get out of this herself, if she really wanted to. She didn't need the Master to fix her own mistakes- but she needed a plan, and was happy to take the next 3 minute song to think up a usable one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor held the Master as many of these selfish, entitled men around her held their far too young dates.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was at a party celebrating the oppression of a life form slightly different than the guests who were attending, why should she be surprised?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor put her hand respectfully at the Master's hip which forced him to put his hand over the Doctor's upper arm. The Master chuckled at her minor rebellion as he took her other hand in his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although her actions were amusing, he didn't mind giving up the lead role- even in front of this backwards-thinking crowd. The Doctor always did whatever she wanted, and the Master was far more used to the traditionally femanine role in dancing anyways.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not that either of them liked to generalize with gendered labels at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dance wasn't anything elaborate, it was little more than a few basic steps in a repetitive pattern to the gentle, steady music. Surprisingly, it really wasn't all that unpleasant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the Doctor began to get a feel for the rhythm- although she wasn't much good with keeping the beat- she allowed the Master closer. Her hand slid around from his hip to his lower back so it wouldn't feel so awkward. He wasn't a terrible dancer either, as it turned out, and it was much easier to keep him close where they could easily talk over the noise of the people around them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor ducked close with a seething frustration that was slipping into anger. She was about to give the Master a piece of her mind- about her friends being held hostage, the fact that she was <em>not</em> his wife, the fact that what this event was endorsing was completely unethical- when the sight of him finally properly registered in her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master was standing there, barely a step away from her, with his eyes nearly closed and a soft, blissful smile on his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor's hearts leapt involuntarily and she hesitated a moment more. He... didn't look angry, or sad, or some agonizing mix with the addition of despair. He simply looked... at peace as he soaked in the moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor quickly pushed down her emotion and gathered the words she wanted to say.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That was a smooth lie, saying I was testing loyalties, but what about my friends?" the Doctor questioned sharply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master hummed thoughtfully, still a little lost in the Doctor's touch, before he collected himself. His eyes flickered up to the Doctor as he replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They would have never bought the excuse of testing their loyalties for you <em>and</em> your pets. Your humans are clearly outsiders, they stand out at an event like this- the guests were skeptical from the moment they stepped inside. At least <em>you</em> had enough sense and knowhow to act the part."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master shrugged, "I did what I could."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor wanted to be angry at that, but she knew he had a good point. The Master knew how to play people, and his calculated risk was simple math.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, she continued, unyielding,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Me <em>and</em> my friends will all be walking out of here safe and sound, whether you like it or not!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master simply nodded, not at all intimidated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor faltered and nearly missed a step, but the Master hurried forwards to catch her so she didn't fall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were terribly close now, so close that the Doctor's peak lapels were pressed against the Master's much more elegant purple ones.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master steadied her back on her feet, and they both stopped dancing for the moment. They were still touching, still so close the Doctor was sure she would be able to hear the Master's hearts if her own weren't so terribly loud.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master hesitated, trying to guess at the Doctor's reaction... and then took the risk anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master closed the small space between them by pressing his forehead to hers and begged her not to push him away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor wanted to be upset about all of this. Upset with the Master for being here of all places and at him for throwing a party for these closed-minded members of high society. She wanted to be upset with herself too, for falling into this situation by mistake and letting her friends get captured and publicly ridiculed while she didn't yet have a plan to free them. For... for dancing with her best enemy instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, the moment she felt the Master's mind against hers, worry and fear were suddenly the farthest things from her mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hadn't been this close to the Master in <em>ages</em>. Yes, they had been chasing each other through time and did the occasional telepathic conversation- but they hadn't done <em>this</em>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor could see the Master's most recent history clear in his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn't here promoting hate at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This whole party was a scam to get money from these selfish oafs. The money was actually going to organizations advocating for equal rights for androids and cyborgs, and in return, their rebellion was helping the Master's find parts needed to repair his Tardis.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Most prominently, the Doctor could also see that the Master was happy to see her. He had been here, all alone, for some time ever since his Tardis had gotten stuck. Seeing the Doctor again was a wonderful breath of fresh air to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master's mind gave her access to anything and everything, to whatever she wanted to see, and the Doctor was surprised at the genuineness of what she found.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had quite honestly misjudged his motivations for being here. For goodness sake, he wasn't even here by choice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Really? You'll just let us go? Just like that?" the Doctor asked skeptically, but her anger faded quickly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master's mind melted to hers as he spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes. I have no business with you, here and now," he explained as if it was the simplest thing. "I do have my own things to attend that don't involve you, believe it or not."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor could feel- as easily as she could feel her own emotions- that he was telling the truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor's initial distrust finally melted completely away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh... alright," she decided.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master pulled away and somehow, it felt like their contact had been all too brief.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master smiled, a little sad, but mostly a peaceful little smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But first: one more dance. And: an input regulator from your ship- assuming that bucket of bolts can spare it," the Master chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor found herself opening her hand and pressing her fingers to his until they locked together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master dipped his head slightly. If the Doctor didn't know any better, she would say he was blushing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't need you to get out of this," the Doctor added as they resumed dancing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master's face fell a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You never do," he said with heavy hearts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor honestly didn't expect that kind of response. Perhaps he had been stuck here longer than she'd assumed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor ducked her head to catch his eye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But it would be a mutually beneficial trade. I'd be a fool not to take it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master looked up again and grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Right. Yes," he paused a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His defences fell more and more the longer they danced.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The song ended all too soon. And the Master let go of her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gave her a bow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"One more? For old time's sake," the Doctor suggested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gestured to the band and they quickly started up another soft, but noticeably more cheerful song. It was still slow, but with something optimistic weaved into the progression of notes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor pulled the Master close, her hands around his middle, while the Master rested his own arms around lazily over her shoulders. They danced much more naturally now, like old friends who knew how to anticipate each other's moves and were perfectly content swaying casually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I suppose I got the wrong impression," the Doctor commented as something adjacent to an apology.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master chuckled. He clearly understood what she meant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's all part of the show," the Master excused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The song was long, but all too short in the grand scope of things.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps about 5 minutes in all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Five minutes of fleeting touches that felt the way home was <em>supposed</em> to feel; but never did without the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Near the end, the Master accepted the inevitable end of their dance, but grinned as he suggested something new.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Would you like to play the villain with me, for once?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What?" the Doctor perked up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"As part of the ruse," the Master explained, "to get your pets out of here. This audience already believes you to be my wife, might we give them the rest of the show?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor considered this for a brief moment, and then grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We might as well go big and then go home," she teased.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"My Tardis is parked in the garden."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master beamed big and bright, "Excellent!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the song wound to an end, the Doctor led the Master to her friends- who had been tied up in the corner this entire time- before the Master gave an encore of his precious performance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Carry on with your evening while my <em>brilliant</em> wife and I deal with these sorry excuses for undercover rebels," the Master announced to the crowd.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We'll return shortly to celebrate yet another win for the real <em>living, breathing, people</em> of this world!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A cheer rose up and glasses were raised before a cheerful song began to play and the celebration continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor grinned, her hand still in his, and gave the crowd a bow of her own in exchange for their applause.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pulling one over felt surprisingly good on these cruel people. It was still wrong, she knew, but she could understand why the Master enjoyed it so much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor pulled her friends from their seats- their hands were still tied behind their backs- and shoved them roughly out a side door. The Master followed as well. He checked that there were no strays around to observe them as he followed the group out into the night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was crisp and clear above, with moonlight pouring down in sharp blades. Sure enough, the Tardis was partially hidden along the wall of bushes across the path.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What's <em>he</em> doing here?" Ryan asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What do you mean rebels? What took you so long?!" Yaz asked sharply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Doc, what's the idea?" Graham added as well, "Trusting this guy after what he did?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master rolled his eyes and gave Yaz a small shove so the humans would keep moving. He didn't want them to get overheard and blow his carefully crafted cover by whining too loudly. He <em>was</em> helping them after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You guys trust me, yeah? Come on then!" the Doctor promised in a loud whisper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Begrudgingly, they followed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were all properly hidden by the tall walls of bushes and ferns, the Doctor freed them from the rope.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sorry, everyone!" the Doctor apologized, now acting much more like her usual self.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's a long story. This wasn't the party I thought it was- we got here too early!" she chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Too <em>early </em>?!" Yaz asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, android rights, politics, bunch of... really dark stuff. It takes a few years yet to get smoothed over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This is my fault really. But no harm done!" the Doctor promised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yaz suddenly took a swing at the Master but he backed away barely a second before he caught it. He stumbled back and fell onto the nearly trimmed grass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You left us on a plane to die!" Yaz exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Keep your voice down, will you?" the Master hissed as the Doctor offered him a hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Honestly, you humans never let things go, do you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I thought you were my friend!" Yaz shouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master brushed off his suit but simply blinked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I knew you... what? One day? Day and a half?" the Master did his best to recall, "I'm not sure what kind of loyalty you expected."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor intervened before anymore punches could be thrown.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey now, everyone lived, yeah? And what's a little death between friends?" the Doctor attempted to ease the tension with a forced laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The humans gave her a disapproving glare.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor then took the Master's hand and- to the humans' collective disbelief- led him inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor opened a panel on the far left wall, her other hand still locked soundly in the Master's, and gestured to a large rod inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Will this one do?" she offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes. You won't believe how difficult these are to find," he replied, "my ship's been grounded for months."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I spend a lot of time at scrap yards. They turn up from time to time," the Doctor agreed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll give you two in case it goes again."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor let go of the Master's hand so she could pull the  glowing beams from their places. They became a dull grey once they were turned off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master took them gratefully, examined them, and then set them carefully into an inside pocket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Much obliged," he smiled with a slight bow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor chuckled, "I'd rather you get off this planet before things heat up anyways. I'd avoid the next couple years if I was you," she suggested casually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll keep that in mind," the Master agreed with an understanding dip of his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor then led him out of her ship once more, past the humans were were staring at them completely baffled, and beneath the beautiful night sky.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cold grass crunched softly underfoot as the Master exited the ship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We should do this again sometime. You make a good partner," he complimented.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"For dance- but also in crime. It's all the more fun to pull one over on those high and mighty scum, with you at my side," he chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor grinned, "You're not so bad yourself."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master reached up to take the Doctor's hand for a moment more and gave it a gentle squeeze. The Doctor leaned down from the doorstep of her Tardis to press a small kiss to his cheek in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Be careful," she said softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You too," the Master smiled gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked gorgeous in the moonlight, with those beautiful dark eyes and full purple attire. And so did the Doctor, in a deep blue suit with peak lapels and her hair pulled back in a small bundle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One last look, and then the Master broke his hand reluctantly away from hers for the last time that evening. He shot her a smile and then strolled off to his event.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Master grinned in a bittersweet fashion to himself as the Tardis door eventually shut behind him and the Doctor left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Not that I'm judging, Doc but..." Graham began.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But you two looked like you had a lovely time while we were tied up!" Ryan finished, a bit annoyed, "I didn't even get to finish trying to horderves!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, Doctor," Yaz began, "One minute he wants you dead and then the next-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know," the Doctor sighed, "but it was all to get you three out of there safe and sound. Coming here was a mistake on my part. I should have been more careful and I shouldn't have assumed...."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her words drifted off for a brief second before she finished with more determination, "It won't happen again."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor wished she could believe her own promise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The Master... he can be civil when he wants to. So we... came to an agreement. It was in both our best interests," the Doctor explained at the bare minimum.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it was only a bit of a lie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three humans exchanged a glance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Yaz spoke up, sounding a bit sad, "Doctor... you looked happy."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor spun around to find the three of them smiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She returned it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He's... my friend. We put each other through hell- but it's always good to know he's alright," the Doctor admitted, a bit bashfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The humans only smiled wider.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I guess he did save us from that mob mentality," Ryan added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Graham nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He's not all bad," she promised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Anyways-" the Doctor turned back to the console.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She needed to change the topic <em>immediately</em>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Time to take you all to a <em>real</em> party! And I have just the one in mind. Have you ever been to...."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I only edited this like once so... I'm sorry. I have nothing else to say for myself lmao.<br/>I hope it was alright tho. I had a lot of fun with this story. This is one of those ideas I had that I was like "yeah I COULD make this a fuller story, but idk." so I just did this instead lol.<br/>Hopefully it's not too bad lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Taller Than You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Day 27: Height Differences</p><p>The Doctor and the Master are stuck in the rare situation where they have to work together. They aren't too good at that, but they are good at fighting- so they decide to bicker over the smallest things to pass the time instead.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The Doctor and the Master are literally both feral little creatures this time around and their love language is acting like schoolboys who can't get along lol<br/>But that's alright with them, it's much more fun that way</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Master waltzed up to the Doctor with a wide smile teasing at his lips. He scanned her face over and then gave a smug little sound of confirmation.</p><p>The Doctor only rolled her eyes.</p><p>"What?" she asked.</p><p>They were in the middle of something, and her human friends would be back soon.</p><p>She wasn't in the mood for the Master's shenanigans right now- it was bad enough they were in this situation together at all- however, all they could do for the time being was wait, so the Doctor didn't have much of a choice other than to indulge him.</p><p>"I'm finally taller than you," the Master grinned. His voice dripped with a childish pride.</p><p>The Doctor paused to consider this and immediately scowled.</p><p>"No, you're not," she said.</p><p>Although, to be quite honest, she wasn't actually certain.</p><p>The Master's expression twisted together as well.</p><p>"I am!" he insisted.</p><p>The Doctor stood up straight, her feet firmly on the ground as she raised a hand from the top of her head to his.</p><p>"I'm taller," the Doctor smiled.</p><p>The Master crossed his arms, completely unwilling to bad down on this issue.</p><p>"You're wearing boots. I have flats," the Master added.</p><p>The Doctor only shrugged.</p><p>"Your point?"</p><p>"Point is: I'm taller. You're cheating," the Master reasoned.</p><p>"I'm not <em>cheating</em>," the Doctor said firmly, "and even without shoes, I would still be taller!"</p><p>The Master moved closer, within her personal space so his face could hover across from hers. He appeared quite determined to win at this very simple fact as if it was somehow an actual competition.</p><p>"You wager?" the Master pressed coldly.</p><p>The Doctor scowled and then stepped back and pulled off her boots.</p><p>"Let's settle this!" she announced, as if this was some very real issue.</p><p>"Agreed!" the Master retorted as he knelt down and tugged at the frayed mess of laces on his own shoes.</p><p>The pair of them piled their shoes aside and stood, in their colorful socks on the cold metal ship interior, to face each other.</p><p>"See? I'm taller!" the Master insisted.</p><p>"That's just your hair!" the Doctor protested.</p><p>The Doctor reached a hand over to flatten his hair so she could more accurately judge his actual height to her own.</p><p>"That's such a lie- Hey, don't touch my hair!" the Master rebuffed.</p><p>He caught her hand and in a split second, both his hands were locked in the Doctor's hands. Their fingers laced perfectly together and they were pushing against each other, with gritted teeth, as if this disagreement could somehow be solved with force.</p><p>Standing in their socks didn't help matters and neither of them could properly get a grip on the slick metal. They just pressed their palms to each others' and attempted to leverage the other- only to have their feet slide away every step forwards.</p><p>They each tried to shove the other off-center, as if they were playing the opposite of tug-of-war, but each time, the slightest force simply slid their own feet back. They were clearly at a stalemate and they both knew it.</p><p>"What's up?" a new voice broke through.</p><p>The Doctor and Master had been barely a breath appart, both glaring each other down, their hands locked into each other and pressing to no avail, when they were interrupted.</p><p>They both turned to see Ryan towering over them.</p><p>"Are you guys having some angry hand holding time? Is that a Time Lord thing? I don't know much about your culture," Ryan observed curiously.</p><p>The pair of them paused trying to shove the other for the moment being.</p><p>"Ryan!" the Doctor beamed. She spared him a bright smile before directing a scowl to her opposition.</p><p>"Tell the Master I'm <em>clearly</em> taller than him!"</p><p>The Master sharply shook his head and then spared Ryan a soft smile himself.</p><p>"Ryan, my dear, I'm sure you're a man of reason! Please tell my friend here that I am <em>clearly</em> taller- and that she should accept her defeat with dignity!"</p><p>The pair of them began to push their hands against each other, their faces slowly closing the distant between them in the process.</p><p>"You're not! I've always been taller and that hasn't changed!" the Doctor insisted with even more determination than before.</p><p>The Master clenched his jaw.</p><p>"You haven't <em>always</em> been taller than me! I know some of your regenerations have been shorter!"</p><p>"Yeah? Name one!" the Doctor hissed. She was in far too deep to back out now.</p><p>"The one with the curly hair! Around the time of the war! I was taller than you then!" the Master grinned pridefully.</p><p>"I don't think so," the Doctor said with a teasing smirk.</p><p>"I absolutely was-"</p><p>"Shame we never measured, I guess we'll never know," the Doctor grinned, her brows pressed together.</p><p>"I have on good authority the regeneration right after you first came to earth was <em>incredibly</em> small!" the Master attempted again.</p><p>The Doctor didn't yield so easily.</p><p>"I don't think you even met that one! Doesn't count!"</p><p>At a stalemate, they pressed until their foreheads met and their argument became a battle of minds.</p><p>Ryan quickly interrupted.</p><p>"Could the two of you stand up?" he asked, slightly unsure how if this was weird or if this was regular Time Lord behavior.</p><p>The Doctor and the Master finally pulled apart. Their hands were both exhausted, but they both refused to show it.</p><p>Ryan attempted to eyeball their heights.</p><p>It was <em>very</em> close, but if he was being honest, with no shoes, the Master might have a couple centimeters or so.</p><p>Still, that didn't mean Ryan felt he deserved the win. The Master had betrayed them all and left them to die on more than one occasion. Ryan still didn't feel all that forgiving.</p><p>"It's close, but I think the Doctor has you beat," Ryan lied.</p><p>"Yes!" the Doctor cheered.</p><p>The Master rolled his eyes.</p><p>"He's <em>biased!</em> " the Master huffed.</p><p>"You're just bitter because <em>you</em> lost! Again!" the Doctor beamed, getting far closer to the Master's face than any human would dare.</p><p>The Master shoved her back a little by the shoulders. The Doctor immediately retaliated and shoved him in return.</p><p>Ryan wasn't completely sure what to do as the two of them acted like schoolchildren.</p><p>They pushed each other back and forth- still barely getting any real traction in their colorful socks.</p><p>The Doctor caught the Master by the front of his coat, and the Master caught the Doctor by the same. They tussled for a few seconds, fighting at each other without doing any damage until the Master's back hit a nearby wall.</p><p>The Doctor pressed him there and shook him, roughing him up as the Master's hands caught the Doctor's wrists. The Master only grinned a wide, teeth-filled grin and Ryan had a feeling that the Doctor wore a similar expression.</p><p>Ryan cleared his throat and the two quickly broke apart from their mess of grinning, locked jaws and wild eyes.</p><p>Ryan gestured their attention to Yaz and Graham who had finally returned.</p><p>The Doctor and the Master quickly brushed themselves down and smoothed out their clothes as if nothing had happened.</p><p>"Right. The mission. The plan. Okay," the Doctor said, without really saying much of anything.</p><p>The Master quickly pulled his shoes back on, barely bothering with the knotted and too-far-gone laces, and collected himself much more quickly than the Doctor- who had clearly forgotten all about having shoes.</p><p>"We should get going," the Doctor said, leading the way in only her blue and white striped socks.</p><p>The Master sighed a heavy breath as he knelt down to gather up the Doctor's boots in one hand.</p><p>On the way out, the Master spared Ryan a good-natured, but slightly too forceful, pat on the arm.</p><p>"Good call," he said with a smirk, "she never would have let that go anyways."</p><p>Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly. He was more than a little baffled by such a calm reaction. Ryan had expected more along the lines of a death threat.</p><p>He watched as the Doctor eventually noticed the cold metal beneath her feet and spun around to find the Master holding her shoes.</p><p>He shoved them, forcefully, to her so that they hit her in the gut. The Doctor only chuckled as she nearly doubled over and took the boots from him.</p><p>"I'm taller than you," the Master said simply once more. His shoes making him noticeably taller than her at that particular moment.</p><p>"No! I am!" the Doctor rebuttaled with another smile quickly finding its way to her face.</p><p>"If you were, then you would stop wearing <em>boots</em> with a <em>heel</em>," the Master countered.</p><p>"You're one to talk!" the playful argument started up all over again. "You used to wear boots with heels all the time!"</p><p>"They went with my skirt! And you <em>liked</em> them!" the Master countered as the Doctor quickly pulled her boots on. The Doctor caught his arm to keep her balance as she did so, but they both pretended not to notice.</p><p>"I liked <em>looking down at you</em>, that's for sure," the Doctor teased. "Because you were <em>shorter than me!</em> "</p><p>"You always look down on me from your <em>high horse</em>," the Master retaliated. "No matter <em>how</em> tall I am!"</p><p>Yaz interrupted once the opportunity to do so presented itself.</p><p>"Doctor? Aren't we on a bit of a deadline?" Yaz interjected.</p><p>The Doctor finished pulling on her shoes and quickly let go of the Master's arm.</p><p>"Right you are! Always on top of things, Yaz!"</p><p>The Master rolled his eyes but bit his tongue when the Doctor wasn't looking at him. However Ryan <em>was</em> and suddenly things started to make a lot more sense.</p><p>The Doctor then took the Master's hand and began to lead the way. The Master's grin quickly returned to his face at the Doctor's touch, even though the Doctor was too wrapped up in her own mind to notice.</p><p>"Right, team! Back to work!"</p><p>Ryan hung back to speak with Graham as they all followed the Doctor down the long metal halls.</p><p>"Hey, Grandad?"</p><p>"Yes, son?" Graham fell into step alongside Ryan.</p><p>"You know when..." Ryan paused a moment to think of how best to explain it.</p><p>"In grade school when one kid starts chasing another kid around because they want to play but... they don't know how to ask?"</p><p>Graham nodded. "It's been a long time for me since those days," he chuckled, "but I certainly do. What's on your mind?"</p><p>Ryan gestured to the Doctor and the Master up ahead- once again bickering about something from their past no one else understood.</p><p>They were still holding hands.</p><p>Graham's eyes widened slightly. He pressed his lips together for a moment in thought.</p><p>"That would explain a lot actually," Graham agreed.</p><p>"Come on, fam! Keep up!" the Doctor called behind her.</p><p>Ryan and Graham chuckled and then picked up the pace.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for being completely unable to upload on time lmao<br/>I was on time for a whole 3 days, idk why I thought I could keep up the pace lol</p><p>Anyways. I love writing these two being complete idiots with a crush on each other lmao<br/>This lil fic takes place in an au where things kind of settle down a bit and everyone starts to get along. Idk why, that was just the mood this time around. I hope you liked it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. This One's For You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Day 28: Piano</p><p>There's a certain restaurant the Master likes to visit when he wants to work through his feeling about the Doctor without anyone finding out about him.<br/>After yet another failed confrontation with the Doctor, he returns to the restaurant once more and plays a song with her in mind.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: alcohol mention, alcohol use</p><p>Although alcohol doesn't really work on Time Lords, it's basically just juice to them, but the Master gives it a stab anyways. It has no effect on him. He's just incredibly tired lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Hello?" the Doctor picked up her phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Few people had her number- but apparently that didn't stop unknown callers from reaching her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hello?" the stranger on the other end echoed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is this- well there isn't a name- it just says 'Doctor'," the stranger explained, sounding somewhat troubled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's me!" the Doctor grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh good!" the stranger said, sounding relieved, "I'm glad to hear it. Would you mind collecting your... patient?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor's eyes narrowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Patient?" she echoed this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice sounded like a young man, clearly nervous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have to assume so? Or maybe he's a friend? Listen, honestly, I don't know. This guy's a regular, I've never caught his name, barely even talks to anyone. And usually he's a real fine man; but this evening he just walked in, drank himself silly, bribed our regular piano man to let him play, and then passed out. This number was written on his arm, so I have to assume he knew what he was doing."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor considered this for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can you describe him?" she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A long "uh..." came from the other end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Brown hair, brown eyes I think. Not the tallest bloke, less than 6 feet for sure. Purple coat-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, <em>him</em>," the Doctor realized. Her voice bounced about the empty main room of her Tardis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She quickly plugged the phone into her console and tracked the source of the call.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. I just work here, I'm a bartender, but I'm a bit worried. He was looking rough since the moment he got here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll get him. Don't worry," she decided.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She paused a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks for calling me," she added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man on the other end sounded relieved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank <em>you</em>. I'd hate to have to throw him out on the street. Have a good night."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To the Doctor's slight surprise, her Tardis ended up on Earth. She was outside some low lit bar that was surprisingly full given how small it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stepped inside to hear a bell announce her presence overhead as the warm air rushed past her to the cold outside world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was early, she could clearly see. Groups of people were only digging in to their first glass or meal of the evening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor sat herself down in a quiet corner and waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Enter stage right: the Master.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He really did look worse for wear, exhausted even. He looked tired and lackluster, even as he held himself with poise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a seat at the bar, and ordered a drink. Then another, then another. Clearly none of them were giving him the desired effect he was after.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Being a Time Lord will do that to you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Assuming him only human, the bartender soon cut him off and the Master grumbled with his head in his hands, but said nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn't take long for him to give up on alcohol consumption, and bribe the musician- clearly in need of his big-break- to abandon his work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master took a seat on the stool and tested out the keys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor braced herself for second hand embarrassment- but was surprised when it never came to pass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master was... dare she say... <em>good</em> at it. She knew Missy had learned to play with ease, but she didn't know this version of him could as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crowd began to fall quiet at his playing, not because of the song, but because of the way he was playing. It was... soft, and a little sad, and firm, and bittersweet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was an old Earth song that the Doctor could swear she'd heard at least once before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was surprised when the Master set up the nearby mic and sang as he played. His voice was a bit rough, but also soft and quiet compared to his fingers dancing along the keys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she can ruin your faith with her casual lies</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she only reveals what she wants you to see</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor would have chuckled to herself if not for how painfully sad the Master's voice sounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wondered- for the first time that evening- at what point in his timeline this was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can ask for the truth but she'll <em>never believe you...</em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah she steals like a thief but she's always a woman to me"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor was surprised as the Master went into the chorus. His voice was beautiful yet implacably melancholy. His mind appeared to be somewhere distant as he sang softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, she takes care of herself, she can wait if she wants</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's ahead of her time</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, and she never gives out and she never gives in</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just changes her mind"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, the Doctor feared his voice might give out, but the Master persisted, lost deep in some emotion the Doctor hadn't been prepared for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And she'll promise you more than the garden of Eden"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>he chuckled lightly through the next line,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then she'll <em>carelessly cut you</em> and laugh while you're bleeding...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she brings out the <em>best and the worst you can be...</em></span>
</p><p>
  <span><em>Blame it all on yourself </em> 'cause she's always a woman to me"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a short lull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It finally clicked on her mind where the Master was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right after Gallifrey. Right after the Doctor had rejected him and left him for dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, she takes care of herself, she can wait if she wants</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's ahead of her time" he sang quite softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, and she never gives out and she never gives in</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just changes her mind..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master took a deep breath, determined to finish strong,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She is frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She does as she pleases, she's nobody's fool</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she can't be convicted, she's earned her degree</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the most she will do is throw shadows at you</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she's always a woman to me"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The song ended, with a bit of flair on the final scale.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>People clapped, but the Master ignored them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As everyone returned to their own lives, the Master hauled himself over to a corner booth. In less than a minute, he layed himself down on the cheap plastic cushion and fell soundly asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He napped there for a while, maybe 15 minutes or so, until a bartender finally found him. When the Master didn't wake up, the young man called the number under the edge of his sleeve.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor watched with something deeply sad in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For all his pride and talk on Gallifrey, about breaking her, about dragging her down to his level- the Master was still just a single man. And he was a <em>mess</em>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time, the Doctor realized that perhaps maybe she shouldn't have said some of the things she had said. She should have talked to him and tried to get through to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things didn't have to turn out this way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, the Doctor got up from her booth and crossed the room to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slid around the booth and gathered the Master's upper body onto her lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wake up," she said, shaking him gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes snapped open, clearly startled, and it took them a moment to properly fix on the Doctor's face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they did, the Master covered his face with his sleeve to shield him from the light overhead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did I finally die? Is this my hell? Please tell me it is," he requested, groggily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor chuckled and shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nope, afraid not. You're still stuck in the real world with the rest of us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master only groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then leave me here to die. Like you always do," he growled, but there was no force behind his words. He was too tired to pull away if he wanted to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're not going to die, you never die," the Doctor forced a fond smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master wasn't having it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"By choice," the Master stated, "but I'm choosing death this time. There's no reason to bother staying alive anymore."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master was clearly attempting to be angry, but he was far too exhausted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor looked him over, deeply saddened. It wasn't like she'd <em>meant</em> to leave him to die. He was the one who didn't give her any choice. The Doctor's instinct was always to run- he should know that by now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn't known what else <em>to</em> do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor held him steady in her arms and ran her hands through his hair. The Master turned to press his face to her stomach, partially hidden by her coat, and didn't protest. In fact, he eased and very quickly forgot his anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor gave him a moment more to rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, she spoke again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You can't lay here in public all night," the Doctor reasoned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Watch me..." the Master said, slightly muffled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, but then I'm going to order some food."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Knock yourself out," the Master breathed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor paused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you have any money?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master grimaced as he sat up and shouted across the room to the nearby bartender, sounding completely sober.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Javier? My good man? Please get my husband anything she'd like. I'll cover the overdraft <em>with interest</em>. "</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He then dropped his head back onto the Doctor's lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not your husband," the Doctor chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry, wife," the Master corrected himself, half hidden by the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not your wife," the Doctor corrected again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry," the Master mumbled, quickly allowing himself to fall asleep once more, "what's the... other options? I don't remember what they are in english.... But I have to say wife, or else no one understands why you're... so important...."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor lightly tousled his hair as he fell asleep again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bartender in question soon walked over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We spoke on the phone?" he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was a young, tall, cleancut man with a friendly smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes! Sorry about him," the Doctor gestured to the Master, "he can be a handful."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man laughed and took a seat at the edge of the large corner booth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He once threw out a few loudmouths saying hateful things and threatened them so bad they never came back- so he's alright in my book. Although I'm not quite sure how he learned my name," the man, Javier apparently, smiled. "What would you like me to get for you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor smiled in returned and brushed the Master's hair over his face to shield him from the lights above.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Whatever your appetizers are. And once my- er- friend here gets an hour or so of sleep in, I'm sure he'll be much more cooperative and I can get him out of your hair."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man smiled, "Not a problem. I'll put in the order for you. Just wave if you need anything else."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks. I really appreciate it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man hesitated once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry if this is personal, but can I just ask? Are you his wife?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor considered this carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, I'm not. Why?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man shook his head and gave a polite smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He comes in here sometimes and talks about his wife. About how he loves her more than anything but he doesn't think she loves him anymore. And he plays songs dedicated to her, like he did tonight. I've always wondered what kind of woman would be so important to him. As his Doctor, I thought I should tell you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>".... Oh..." the Doctor said simply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man gave a nod and then returned to his work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor looked down at the Master once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed harmless now, with his head on her lap and his eyes closed. He looked gentle and soft like that, pressed close like a child.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor... well... she had simply never considered that perhaps he blew off steam by doing something <em>other</em> than destroying planets. She had almost forgotten there was more to him than their fights.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Doctor ate her food and thought things over in the peaceful white noise of the rest of the restaurant. She was beginning to understand why the Master liked it so much. Everything was dim, and the air was warm but not too hot. The workers seemed to be very reasonable people and the visitors all came and went in a civil manner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was calming in a way that was more soothing than a bustling city and far more effective than dead silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After an hour or so, the Doctor gently shook the Master awake once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hummed instinctually. He was still so tired he barely moved a muscle, but more in a sense of sleepiness than a grumpy, sleep-deprived disposition.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on. Let's go home," the Doctor offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Home..." the Master echoed, still little more than a weight half asleep on the Doctor's lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is the only home I've ever known."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Some restaurant? It's nice, but I wouldn't say-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," the Master said quietly, his voice lower than ever from sleep and his eyes still closed, "not the restaurant."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor tried not to think too hard about what he was implying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Stop being so dramatic. Come on, let's go back to mine, yeah? I'll tuck you in bed."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Master sighed but allowed the Doctor to drag him up from the booth. He clung tight to the Doctor's arm as he forced himself to his feet and followed her out into the cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was night and it was freezing as the Doctor led him to her Tardis. She quickly found him a spare room across the hall from her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They didn't give me a choice," the Master said quietly as the Doctor took his coat and exchanged it for a large duvet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor shushed him as she tucked him into a spare bed. He was in no state to have this discussion right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They were scared I would tell you and you would be cross with them," the Master continued tearfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They were scared of <em>you</em>. Not me. They were scared of <em>you</em>. Always of you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were going to kill me, or at least lock me up for eternity, whatever it took to keep me quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But you said it yourself. It's your life. You deserve to know the truth."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor paused as the Master opened his eyes once more, beneath the mountain of pillows and blankets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was so scared and so angry. It's always been us- but that's never been the real truth. I didn't know what else to do... I'm sorry. Don't leave me again, please," the Master begged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor reached down to hug the Master so she didn't have to see him cry. The Master's arms reached tight around her in response. His fingers pressed tight into the Doctor's back and caught the fabric of her coat to keep his hands from slipping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I won't leave. I'll still be here when you wake up," the Doctor promised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor sat herself next to him and did just that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I liked your song," the Doctor commented as the Master calmed down again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks," the Master said once his breathing eased and the Doctor lowered his head to the nearest pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was for you."</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry I didn't get the chance to post this yesterday! But here it is!<br/>This is actually an old idea of mine. I have a completely different draft of it somewhere, but this felt like this rewrite fit together better. I probably could have done more with this idea, but this is how it ended up and I think it's alright lol<br/>In the Missy book, there's a story about the Master finding somewhere that's as close to home as he can get, where people will leave him alone and he can just BE. And I really like that idea of the Master putting certain places aside for himself were he can just chill, so that influenced this idea too lol<br/>And yes, the Master sometimes writes the Doctor's number down, usually on a business card, so that if anything happens to him someone can get a hold of the Doctor instead of taking him to a hospital. The last thing he wants is humans getting their hand on him lol. But even with that said, he NEVER expects her to actually answer.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Morning Kisses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Day 30: Morning Kisses</p><p>The Master, still in his hut in the outback and still playing human for the time being, wakes up to find someone in his bed. It's the Doctor- of course- and after a particularly difficult adventure, all she wants is to hold him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the final day of Spyvember, but I'll still post a few other stories I haven't got around to editing yet at some point in the future.<br/>Thanks to everyone who's made this month so wonderful!! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Master was completely baffled by his senses when he woke up.</p><p>It was dreary outside, raining on the rare occasion that it rained in the outback. Not a single one of his several alarms had gone off yet. Most disorienting, he had slept <em>well</em> for once.</p><p>He had a heavy sheet folded up over his feet, a soft pillow beneath his head, and someone warm was pressed up against his back with their arms around his middle.</p><p>He realized all of this quite abruptly as he reached to check the current time on his phone only to be held in place by two strong arms around his middle.</p><p>The Master immediately froze as his hearts shot into overdrive like they were pistons in the engine of a race car determined to win the day.</p><p>Why- the absolute hell- was someone else in his bed?</p><p>The Master was almost scared to look but he had to know.</p><p>He most <em>certainly</em> didn't invite anyone to his Tardis- as he <em>never</em> did- so he was left to find out what kind of self-centered bastard would invite themself into his home. And at this time of night, no less.</p><p>The Master turned his head around to see the Doctor laying there.</p><p>She was completely unconscious, little more than dead weight completely asleep next to him. She was breathing softly, but her lips looked pale. She had a heavy blanket pulled over herself and was still full dressed in her usual clothes, suspenders and all. Luckily she had enough sense to leave her boots to the floor.</p><p>The Master carefully rolled over to examine her.</p><p>She looked as lovely as ever, but there was something just a little bit... wrong. The Master gently raised his knuckles to find her cheeks cold to the touch where the fluffy, heavy blanket she was buried beneath couldn't reach. Time Lords could survive more extreme temperatures for humans, but this was just insane.</p><p>"Doctor?" the Master asked.</p><p>He was in only pj bottoms and a t-shirt, still playing the role of a human, but the Doctor had to know by now who he was- assuming she had showed up in the correct order.</p><p>So if she knew who he was, and what he had done, then what was she still doing here?</p><p>The Master shook his head.</p><p>First thing's first. Why was she so cold?</p><p>He felt bad to wake her up, but he needed to make sure she would survive the rest of the night.</p><p>"Doctor?!"</p><p>The Master reached his hands to cradle her face while the Doctor's arms remained lax around his body. His eyes widened nervously as the Doctor's head remained limp in his hands.</p><p>He moved his hands to her shoulders and shook her gently.</p><p>"Doctor?"</p><p>The Doctor's eyes opened slowly at the sight of him and her breathing picked up. The Master let out a heavy breath of relief that he hadn't known was in him.</p><p>"Hi, O," the Doctor greeted him with a fond smile.</p><p>The Master did his best to ignore the strange sense of disappointment he felt at being called O instead of his favorite chosen name. Did she <em>not</em> know who he was? Were they meeting in the wrong order?</p><p>He pushed all of that from his mind. There were more important things at the moment than recognition.</p><p>He shifted gears into the familiar way he played O. It wasn't that difficult really, to act like a good little human. He simply observed the interactions of others and crafted O from hypotheticals until O's mannerisms became second nature.</p><p>It was frustrating to act so helpless, sure, but the Master had gotten quite good at the act over the years. All he had to do was build off an extension of himself anyways.</p><p>"Why are you so cold?" he asked as O, willingly showing a healthy amount of fear- as he often observed in humans.</p><p>The Doctor smiled affectionately, clearly picking up on his worry and trying her best to soothe him.</p><p>"Got stuck in a tundra for a bit, but it's nothing I can't handle," she promised in little more than a whisper.</p><p>The Master's hearts ached at how quiet she was being. She must have gone through much more than she let on.</p><p>"What... are you doing here?" the Master, as O, asked.</p><p>"Not that I don't enjoy your company, but you should be in front of a fireplace or in a <em>dessert</em> after something like that!"</p><p>The Doctor chuckled but still barely moved.</p><p>"I'm in the outback," she smiled. "Should be nice and warm."</p><p>The Master nearly wanted to laugh at that, but he was too worried to do so. Plus, it would be uncharacteristic of O to laugh at dark humor like that.</p><p>"You didn't pick the warmest day for it," the Master rebuttaled as gently as he was able.</p><p>The Master then shook his head.</p><p>"What I meant was- bluntly: What are you doing <em>here? </em> In my bed?"</p><p>The Doctor's weak smile fell and she shut her eyes once more.</p><p>"When I was walking through caverns of ice, getting so cold my blood was beginning to solidify, I spent a lot of time wondering where I would like to be instead."</p><p>The Master stared at her, waiting impatiently for her answer but refusing to show it. He simply watched her face, where it rested on the pillow next to his, while he felt her hands settle on his back.</p><p>Color was returning to her as the warmth of the air and the blankets around her helped return her to her proper internal temperature.</p><p>"I... guess I missed you," the Doctor admitted quietly.</p><p>Her eyes opened softly to stare into the Master's: "Because of all the places I wanted to be, more than anything; I realized I wanted to survive so I could see what this one was like. Right here, next to you."</p><p>Tears glistened at the edges of the Doctor's eyes, and the Master attempted to push all his own emotion away so his own tears didn't swell up to match.</p><p>The Master nearly choked on his own words as his low voice replied softly.</p><p>"And... what do you think of it?" he asked with a gentle smile and hopeful eyes.</p><p>To his relief, the Doctor grinned wide, much more like her old self again, "You could use more pillows."</p><p>The Master rolled his eyes with a lighthearted chuckle and pressed his lips to hers. The Doctor's lips were cold, and pale, and chapped, but still quite soft past the small cracks.</p><p>He kissed her soft and slow and gentle.</p><p>It was barely anything by human terms, but it was the world to him. It <em>meant</em> the world for him to know that the one person the Doctor wanted to get back to, more than anyone, was <em>him</em>.</p><p>Before the Doctor could deepen the kiss, the Master abruptly pulled away.</p><p><em>Did</em> she know who he was? If not... Was this the Doctor's first kiss with O?!</p><p>The Master quickly buried his face in the Doctor's collarbone out of pure embarrassment.</p><p>Soft shivers of laughter tore through the Doctor as she chuckled warmly.</p><p>"You alright?" she asked, her arms tightening soothingly around him.</p><p>The Master kept his face hidden against her, his hearts kicking up a storm inside of him.</p><p>"It's been a while," he excused.</p><p>And it wasn't at all a lie.</p><p>The last time the Doctor had kissed him had been a lifetime ago. And sure, there was the occasional woman, or sometimes man, who mistook the Master's politeness of flirting and spared him the occasional kiss- but that wasn't the same.</p><p>It wasn't <em>kissing the Doctor.</em></p><p>The Master stretched himself up again to see the Doctor's face. She was grinning away, as pleased with herself as ever.</p><p>The Master grumbled something intelligible.</p><p>She was an insufferable bastard.</p><p>"Take your time," the Doctor promised patiently.</p><p>It only made the Master hate her even more.</p><p>For being so effortlessly romantic, for being so gentle and patient with him, for being stupid enough to nearly get herself killed all alone in some tundra.</p><p>"Be more careful next time," the Master said all too earnestly.</p><p>The Doctor smiled lovingly at him. She took the opportunity to return his kiss, and added a few more of her own. A soft press of her lips to his, a soft kiss on his cheek, a soft kiss to his jaw, and the feeling of her cool lips and warm breath as the Doctor pressed a soft kiss to the Master's neck that made him shudder in a way he wasn't terribly proud of.</p><p>At the small gasp, the Doctor backed away and allowed the Master a moment to catch his breath.</p><p>The Doctor might have grown used to human displays of affection, but the Master had most certainly not. Time Lords weren't built for, nor taught, these sorts of things. The Master's head was already spinning.</p><p>Humans were one thing, but this was <em>the Doctor.</em></p><p>The Doctor could cut the Master down with little more than a smirk. Who knows what damage she could do with a kiss.</p><p>"S-Sorry," the Master found himself stuttering.</p><p>He suddenly realized that as unappealing as humans were to him, perhaps he could have benefited from learning a thing or two before he found himself <em>in bed</em> with the love of his lives and slim to none experience.</p><p>Somehow, the Doctor caught into this and pulled him into a hug instead. The Master settled in her arms and pulled his own arms tight around her in return. He settled quietly against her and was deeply relieved when the Doctor held him firm and still.</p><p>"It's alright," the Doctor promised.</p><p>"There's no rush. And no expectations anyways. I just... wanted to see you again."</p><p>The Master grinned into her shoulder. He breathed in the ice-y cold still pressed deep to her skin, but found the same old familiar warmth hiding beneath it. She still felt the same as ever to him.</p><p>"You should get some rest," the Master told her.</p><p>The Doctor hummed softly in agreement as her eyes fell shut once more.</p><p>"You too."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>&lt;3</p><p>Spyvember has been so much fun! Thank you to everyone who's read my work and especially to everyone who's made their own amazing content!<br/>I love reading all the other fics and seeing everyone's art! There are so many talented people in this fandom and this really has been so much fun!<br/>Of course, thanks to Valc0 and Ineternity for organizing this! If you somehow don't know who they are, they're incredibly talented artists and writers on ao3 and Tumblr. (I won't take the time to link them because I'm sure it would only take a few seconds to search for them.)<br/>Valc0 is working on an INCREDIBLE comic right now called High and Dry and it's literally the highlight of my week every time they update! And their art is absolutely phenomenal! And Ineternity is the sweetest person and their writing is AMAZING! They have such wonderful ideas! Both these creators are SO brilliant and I'm so appreciative for the things they create!</p><p>I'll mark this as completed for now, but I'll post a couple more chapters as I'm able to complete them.<br/>Thanks again to everyone! I can't thank you all enough!</p><p>Goodnight and take care! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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